Career & Technical Education

NOCTI Cut Scores

To:

CTE Directors

Date: February 28, 2011

From:

Eric Suhr

Subject:

NOCTI Cut Score Policy Update

This memo is to announce a policy change with regard to New York State cut scores on NOCTI assessments. In recent years, the New York State NOCTI cut scores were determined by NOCTI and based on a psychometrically sound normative method (i.e., the national average minus 1 SEm). Over the past year, NOCTI has established criterion-referenced cut scores for each of its Job Ready and Pathway assessments. New York will adopt these criterion-referenced cut scores. Beginning with June 2011 graduates, technical endorsement decisions based on the results of NOCTI Job Ready and Pathway technical assessments should be made using the NOCTI criterion-referenced cut scores.

For each assessment, NOCTI worked with a cut score team of subject matter experts from across the country. Teams set the criterion-referenced cut score at the point on the test at which a test taker could be considered a minimally competent job candidate. They considered what one should know and be able to do on his/her very first day on the job in order to perform duties in a safe and effective manner.

The cut score process was conducted for the current version of each Job Ready and Pathway assessment. Separate criterion-referenced cut scores were set for the written and the performance components of each assessment. Criterion-referenced cut scores are set once for each assessment. When NOCTI develops a new form of an assessment, NOCTI will convene a new cut score team to establish cut scores for the new form.

Agencies are asked to order the current version of any NOCTI assessment that will be used this spring, so that a criterion-referenced cut score will be available. NOCTI will furnish the criterion-referenced cut scores for all of its current assessments by the end of February. NYSED will post these scores on the CTE Approved Program web page at http://www.p12.nysed.gov/cte/ctepolicy/ Teachers will be able to view the cut scores, and share them with their students, prior to test administration later in the spring. NOCTI criterion-referenced cut scores will also be posted to each school’s Client Service Center and are reported on their score reports.

NOCTI produces five New York State customized assessments: Conservation (#7426), Cosmetology (#7776), Nail Specialty (#7416), Small Animal Science (#7413), and Technical Theater (#7700). NOCTI will continue to use the normative method to calculate the cut scores for these exams. NOCTI cut scores for New York State customized exams will be posted on the CTE Approved Program web page (address above) in mid-May. For June 2011 graduates, technical endorsement decisions based on the results of NOCTI New York State customized technical assessments should be made using the New York State NOCTI cut scores.

If you have any questions about this policy change, please contact Dawn Scagnelli in the CTE office at 518.486.1547 or at dscagnel@mail.nysed.gov .